Again Dragon isn't suggesting he son didn't do anything wrong. She isn't suggesting he escapes punishment. I have a class at our co-op. If the boys are misbehaving and I only correct one I am in the wrong, it is my job to make the class a good environment for everyone. SM take on the responsibility of helping all the boys grow and correcting all of their behaviors to the best of his ability. They are not supposed to wait until a parent complains. As SM he owes it to the troop to stop everyone from bullying not just Dragon's son.

Just because the boy feels he has been bullied doesn't mean he has. If he was truly bullied wouldn't have have named all the boys involved? I went to parent day this summer and watched an instructor take a firm hand with a young man (15-16). The boy didn't want to partake in capsizing the canoe. That is apart of the canoeing merit badge! The instructor finally told him if he didn't want to do it then he was out of the class and to go back to camp. Was his voice gruff? Yes it was. However in my opinion the young man deserved it. I could tell the young man was embarrassed. I followed him back to the office and listened to him complain to the camp director. He greatly exaggerated the situation and in one point outright lied. After he left I stepped in and told the director I had saw everything and it didn't happen like that. The MB counselor was removed from the course and camp because of bullying. Her son isn't denying what he did, she is just upset (as any mom would be) that her son is being singled out.

I have the exact opposite problem! I need to lose a lot of weight and have outgrown my clothes. I am refusing to buying bigger clothes so it is back on the diet today for me. I plan to shop at Goodwill as I lose weight to help.

Good ideas! Just a side note you should never type in men weekend. The results were not what I wanted! :D

DH is the best man for a dear friend. He is trying to come up with ideas but is stumped. There will be approximately 9 guys (including the father of the bride, step father of the bride and groom's dad). It should have no alcohol (2 recovering alcoholics), hiking is out due to the dads health, the groom loves fishing but 2 of the groomsmen can't step on a boat. The wedding is in Cleveland but we are in Cincy. DH will drive up to Cleveland but it is hard to know what to do up there. We thought about the Browns/Bengal game but there is some kind of lock out going on. Help!

I am just not ready for this yet! My little boy isn't a little boy. I can't believe he is negotiating with the neighbor to buy his Isuzu Rodeo. He is leaving Monday for a mission trip that last 3 weeks and when he gets back he will go through driver's ed. He is growing up way to fast. I want to say no you can't buy this for no other reason that I am not ready for him to be that old. Where did my baby go?

We would like to replace our cookware. We do not want a non stick coating, have a ceramic cooktop, and would ideally like an American product. Any ideas or suggestions? P.S. We are willing to spend a more but expect to keep them for many, many years.

My DH and I have very strong personalities. We often look at things very differently. Often we come to a decision where I feel one way and he feels another. Someone has to make a decision and go forward. Do I try and submit to him? YES. Am I successful? Sometimes. I have tried to take the attitude that I am honoring him. He often does the same thing. If he comes in and says we need a new car tomorrow I would not question him. However if I said we need to sell the house tomorrow due to our finances he would go out and get boxes. There are areas that we both defer to one another without question. I love and adore my DH and after 18 years of marriage he feels the same way.

P.S. Sorry about the hair :grouphug:

In one year my DS got kicked out of summer camp to being the senior patrol leader. The right troop makes all the difference in the world!

Wow!

:svengo::huh: Well color me stupid! I thought all of this time the DS was just being disrespectful when actually he is just casually looking away. So I guess if I commence beating him about the head and shoulders I could just say I wasn't trying to knock some sense into you I was just trying to fan you with my hands! I started to asked if I looked that stupid but was afraid of the response. TGIF. Before the flames start I wasn't beating him in the head. I can't reach that high :D:D:D

As much as it kills me to say this college may not be right for my son. He is only 15 and may mature greatly in the next few years. If not he will learn the hard realities of life. At this point he is not taking the initiative in his school work, puts forth minimal effort and has not clue as to what he wants to do. This could all change before he turns 18 but realistically I think he will enter the job force. After struggling for a few years he may change his point of view. I will not support him going to school (college or trade) to find himself, study his interest or just have the college experience. A dear friend who has a BA in business and 20 solid years of managerial skills has been out of work for 2 years. 10 of the 13 serious job considerations (2nd and 3rd interviews) she has lost out on to someone without a college degree. 3 were given to people with different degrees. She is currently being considered for a position outside of her experience specifically because she does not have the HR certification. The company knows that she has enough experience experience in HR to make her a good fit for an HR manager but can pay her less because she does not have that certificate.

10% to our church, after that we distribute to those we think need it. Our church is very fiscally responsible. We don't have bulletins, or a paid staff. It is a small church only about 100-120 people so we can get away with it. That being said we have 2 soup kitchens, a food pantry and are working on a thrift store. The books are open. I feel scripture says to give to the church. However that is not a hill I am willing to die on either.

:iagree:

I didn't read the comments but I would have taken it as Holly (as in Holley carburetors) and shift well is a part of the shifter (they actually make fancy covers for them!)

As for us right now the DS 15 1/2 has a girlfriend. So far they have went to one festival (I chaperoned but did allow them some privacy) and one movie/pizza. Neither have licenses so they are at the mercy of their parents to take them places. They have to be in the common area of the house however they are allowed to take walks together, go to the pool or lake. For me it was to soon and I would have preferred he was older. However DH feels it is okay and since he is a guy and those two have a super close relationship and talk about every thing I am accepting. Of course living 30 miles apart does help me feel a little better :D. I agree that the maturity of the two people involved are more important than a specific, predetermined age. JMTC-From what I have seen lately group dating can be just as dangerous or more so than just a couple. I think in a group you can feel more pressure to go further or to show off than when it is a couple.

The Buddhism tread made me wonder how people choose what they will learn about. For me it is more about my environment. If I developed a friendship with someone who was a Buddhist I would probably learn as much as I could. Being a military family our environment is constantly changing so I am exposed to lots of opportunities. My husband feels there is a certain level of general knowledge you should obtain, update on current events and be able to hold a basic conversation in any setting. I agree to a point. I am not an artistic person and do not enjoy art that much. I can recognize a few big pieces like Monet's Water Lilies but I am much more interested in oleochemicals and the impact it is having on the environment in places like Indonesia. Do you learn more about things based on your interest or your environment? I realize that it is a combination of both for most people but if you have an hour to sit down and learn about something purely for yourself what do you choose? Do you find that if you indulge in your interest only do you feel left out in conversations? Or are you full of knowledge about topics that no one else seems interested in discussing?

DS is 15 1/2 and rapidly becoming a man (or maybe he is already and I don't want to admit it :D ). He will be going to driver's ed soon and he has a girlfriend (I can actually type that now without getting queasy). How do you let them grow up and make some of their own decisions? I am more than willing to admit I have control issues. I don't want this to hurt my relationship with my DS. I truly wish I was a go with the flow kind of parent but I am not. I like having my plan. I have been honest with him so far and let him know how hard I am trying to accept that he has a girlfriend. I know the girlfriend is just the beginning. Don't beat me up about it to much. Tough love is okay but right now I am now I am sensitive about it. I really do want to learn to trust him and accept that I can't control what he does, that he will have more and more free time without supervision. For what it is worth DS has made some poor decisions in the past. He isn't as mature as I would like and I see so much of myself in him at that age. If my parents had not had a tight control on me I would have gone down a path that I am so glad I didn't. He, however, isn't as compliant as I was and will rebel if I tighten things up to much. Also we have a more open with him and he tells us a lot of things that I would have never told my parents. I don't want to project to much of myself on to him. I want to see him for who he is.

Just to point out she would never saying something to the person that needed dental work or whatever. I do get tired of hearing it but have accepted that is just Linda and that is what she does. Just like I can be obsessive about being on time. I hate when I have plans and someone else makes me late. I try not to be too obnoxious about it but apparently I fail! :D I think I am going to give her a while to get over her hurt and then point out some of the things ya'll have said. Thanks for the words!

Out of curiosity why would they test for lead just because someone applied for WIC?

Anyone have one of these ? http://www.lehmans.com/store/USA_Made___Kitchen___Non_Electric_Food_Processor___L205?Args=# My handy dandy Ronco food processor finally died and I have to replace it. I have been looking for one made in the USA and this is about the best I can find. I am not opposed to going green and using a manuel one but I have no experience with one. Can some one tell me the pros and cons? I used my FP about once a week. The one from Lehmans seems to have all the blades I need.

You can always offer a credit for paint or to paint the house before the closing. That way if painting is an issue for someone you can overcome it. We are not the average house buyers. We are much more interested in the the bones of the house than the cosmetics. Honestly there isn't much we haven't done to a house.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

The pound told me the puppy I picked out was a beagle/basset mix as well. At 120lbs I figured out they lied to me :D He looks dead on Scooby Doo so we are pretty sure is mostly GD.